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The Boys of Mullaghbawn

from On the Salt Sea by Áit Ait

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about

The Boys of Mullaghbawn The ‘boys’ in this ballad, who hail from the small town of Mullaghbawn in South Armagh, are commonly thought to have taken part in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and sentenced to ‘transportation’, a punishment that carried Irish convicts and prisoners of war to serve out their sentences as indentured servants in North America or Australia. This song is one of the rare Irish ballads that praise a landlord.

lyrics

On a Monday morning early
As my wandering steps did lead me
Down by a farmer’s station of meadow and green lawn
I heard great lamentation
That the wee birds they were makin
Sayin’ we’ll have no more engagements with the boys of Mullaghbawn

Squire Jackson he’s unequaled
For honor and for reason
He’d never prove a traitor or betray the rights of man
But now we are endangered
By a vile deceiving stranger
Who has ordered transportation for the boys of Mullaghbawn

As our heroes crossed the ocean
I am told the ship in motion
Did cause a great commotion as if the seas ran dry
The trout and salmon gaping
The cuckoo left her station
Sayin farewell to bonny Erin and the hills of Mullaghbawn

So to end my lamentation
We are all in consternation
For want of education I am forced to end my song
For without hesitation
We are charged with combination
And sent for transportation from the hills of Mullaghbawn

credits

from On the Salt Sea, released January 1, 2024

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Áit Ait Saint Paul, Minnesota

Áit Ait (Irish for “strange place” or “uncanny valley”) are an experimental folk duo focused on reinterpretations of traditional songs – dark and deep, bright and sparkling; full of noise and life. Based in Minnesota, Áit Ait is Aja McCullough (song) and Patrick Maun (sound). ... more

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